Switch mechanism



Apfil 10, 1928.

W. S. ANDERSON SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 attoz u n16 April 10, 1928. I 1,665,429

w. s. ANDERSON SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1923 2 Sheegt-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM S. ANDERSO N, F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

SWITCH MECHANISM.

Application filed. October 26, 1923. Serial No. 670,986.

- This invention relates to automobile headlights of the type designed for illuminating the road to either side in front of the vehicle when the vehicle is being turned.

It has been found that the violent shaking and vibrating of a car while travelling tends to quickly loosen and render useless any mechanical contrivance not of a very simple and strong construction hence recourse to electrical rather than mechanical control.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a flexible system of pilot lighting in which the lights are so operated that an illuminated area will be effected and continued in that section of the roadway towards which the turning car is being steered, and in which the wheels trail the pilot light.

Another object is to provide a steering mechanism operated attachment of this character so constructed as to meet all requirements of a rigid construction and at the same time effect road illumination at an angle corresponding to the diverging wheel travel. Another object is to provide an attachment of this character in which angle pilots operate in succession, one cutting in and out, then the next one, and vice versa as the wheel comes back to the starting point which is the straight ahead position.

lVith. the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details'of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a diagrammatic plan view showing the various positions of the front wheels of a car equipped with ordinary head lights;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing this improvement applied with the head lights illuminating the space when the steering wheels are turned toward the right;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the illumination of the spaces when the wheels are turned toward the left;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a portion of the chassis with the flasher box constituting a part of this invention shown applied;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5+5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the adjustable link used in connection with the flasher;

Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal section of the flasher box;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail of the control lever;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the switch blade;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the king post and its mounting;

Fig. 13 is a section through one of the sectors;

Fig. 14 is a detail side elevation showing the mounting of the screw heads and terminal lugs of the sectors;

Fig. 15 is a detail plan view of a portion of one of the sectors.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are shown positions of the front wheels 10 when the car is being steered ahead, to the right and to the left respectively.

In Fig. 1 the arrowsl and 2 show the direction of the head light projection as commonly used, the light shafts being parallel to the longitudinal axis 3 of the car body, while the angle 4 shows the maximum turn of the front car wheels 10 with reference to the axis 3. The headlights being fixed and operating forward of the car they must trail atan ever increasing angle to the front wheel travel when said lwheels are being steered to the right or eft.

In Figs. 2 and 3 two pairs of angle lights 6 and 7 are fixedly mounted at the right and left front corners respectively of the car 5.

InFig. 2 the two lights 6 and 6 are fixed with respect to the body of the car and illuminate the triangular areas 8 and 9, said lights being flashed on successively as the frontwheels 10 turn from dead ahead to-the extreme angle at the right as shown at 11. Angle light 6'" which illuminates space -8 is flashed on by means to be described, the instant the front wheels 10 begin to steer to the right and when said wheels have turned through the are 12, light 6 is flashed on and light 6 is cut out.

Light 6 remains on until the angle comprehended by the are 13 is traversed. This insures light in all areas towards which the wheels are still steering, the illumination being always in advance of the wheels on the steering are 11.

When the wheels begin to steer back towards the front of the car light 6 is still-on and remains until the are 13 is traversed again. It is then cut out and light 6" flashed on for the remainder of the total ,arc- 11. It will thus be seen that the angle lights are flashed on in succession when the'wheels are being steered outward and in reverse order when the wheels are being steered inward or to the front. The same operation takes place when steering the car to the left, lights 7 and 7" being flashed on and off the same asdescribed above relative to lights 6 and 6".

The disposition and operation of the lights having been described above the method of control will now be detailed.

Primarily the lights are operated by a\ small device termed herein a flasher 20 which is actuated by a crank or rocker arm 30 at the. base of the steering post found on all automobiles. The location of this post and its operation dijfers little or none in the various makes of cars except in Fords and Overlands in which cars the crank is connected direct to the post and manipulates the sway rods at the front of the car and immediately behind the front axle. In the form herein shown the crank at the side of the car is illustrated.

' Ordinarily the steering post is located at the left of the front seat and the lower endterminates in a worm gear 36 anchored to a longitudinal beam B usually made of structural steel channel.

The worm gear shaft 36 operates the.

rocker arm 30 which,is located outside the' beam B and oscillates in the manner similar to a clock pendulum as is indicated by the arrows 35-37 in Fi 4. This are traverse is fixed symmetrically with reference to a vertical line drawn through the center of. the shaft 36 of the worm gear. This is based on the assumption that the front wheels of the car are set absolutely dead ahead when the rocker arm 30 is in a vertical or neutral position.

on the flasher. I

The are of the control lever 21 may be i shorter. or longer than the are 37 of the rocker arm to provide for which the link 33 must have one end at least capable of being raised or lowered to suit the length of the swing of the lever 21. This manipulation of the rocker arm, ,link and flasher control lever produces a pantograph movement by which the arc traverse of the flasher can be lengthened or shortened at will. To

lengthen the arc the link end which is connected with the lever 21 by means of a slot 22 and bolt 23, is raised and the bolt 23 tightened. To shorten the arc this cud of the link is lowered and the bolt tightened to hold it in adjusted position. Before any change is made in the position of the link end both the control lever 21 and the rocker arm 30 must be in a vertical position. The are traverse above referred to is the distance between the points 38 and 39 and from That is the arc trav- 40 to {11 (see Fig. 7). erse of the lever and the swing or are 37 of the rocker arm must be absolutelythe same length, hence the necessity of the pantoble under varying conditions.

The flasher includes a box 25 made of cast iron in triangular shape and light in construction as it is subjected to no strains from switch operation.

Locatedin the box 25 is a switch blade 26 having a clevis 26 which operates on the shaft or king post 27 Whichpost also supports the control lever 21. This post 27 is '90 graph movement which makes this possithreaded at its inner end and screwed firmly just sutficient to prevent air gaps as the' blade 26 slides over the sectors and contact terminals to be described. The scheme of the blade movement and contactsis similar to that employed on rheostats.

The king post 27 is tapered at 27 to enable the control lever 21 to be positioned on the post to permit movement of the lever 21 with respect to its post in such a way as to eliminate rattling of thecontrol lever due to'vibrations.

The switch blade 26, as is shown clearly in Figs. 8 and 11, has-its freeend offset inwardly and its inner end which is connected with the clevis 26 by bolt 44 is insulated 'from said clevis by rubber or other suitable material as shown at 42. The clevis is provided with a laterally extended tongu which extends throughan opening in the front wall of the box 25 and is located between two lugs 21" on lever 21 so that as the lever moves back and forth the switch blade will be simultaneously operated. The wedge lock shown' at 27 in Fig. 8 prevents any tendency of the switch blade to turn about the bolt 44.

The switch is constructed of two concentric terminal sectors 45 and 46 spaced about one and a half to three quarters of an inch apart. These sectors are composed of an upper insulating section 47 and a lower cast iron base 48 secured together by machine screws as is shown clearly in Figs. 13 and 14. The bearing surface of the sector base 48 shown at 49 is machined to provide a smooth base for the superimposed insulation 47. In order that the contact surface of the sector shall be smooth and in a true plane al l .machine screw heads have been countersunk ciently low to prevent short circuiting of the switch blade 26 as it passes to and fro over them.

The terminal lugs are spaced about three quarters of an inch apart and held by screwsto the insulation. These lugs are dovetailed into the insulation and after being driven into a snug fit'are screwed down firmly.

' The wire leads to the lamps and batteries are shown at 51 in Figs. 7 13 and 14.

I claim: I

A switch mechanism of the class described including a casing, contact members arranged in the casing, a switch arm carrying 'a switch blade operating within the casing,

said switch arm having a right angled end portion extended through the casing, a shaft on which the arm is secured, an arm mounted on the shaft, a control lever having an elongated opening formed therein, spaced lugs on the control lever and engaging on opposite sides of the right angled end portion of the switch arm, an operating rod having one end fitted in the elongated opening, and means for moving the operating rod to operate the switch blade over the contacts of the casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

WILLIAM S. ANDERSON. 

